Does Japan accept foreign skilled workers?

[Northern Comfort]

The majority of people move to Japan to either teach English, or be employed in a role that requires dealing with people who speak English, or a language other than Japanese.

However, does the Japanese government, or Japanese companies ever sponsor skilled workers from overseas to work in Japan in a normal job that is not targetted specifically at foreigners?

For example, if a registered Paramedic with a degree in Paramedic Science from the UK wanted to work in Japan, would they be able to find a hospital or ambulance provider willing to sponsor them, and if so, would the immigration authorities be likely to approve a visa?

 

[Coffeesan]

I've heard Japan really wants immigrants at the moment because the work force is shrinking and getting to old coupled with the fact the birth rate is extremely low. My Japanese friend told me this and I have another friend who is hoping to move to Japan to teach mathematics. I guess you would need to find out if the qualifications are transferable as well which I'm sure people here can probally shed a little light on. What kind of work were you hoping to go into over there? Just to get the ball rolling..

 

[KirinMan]

MOFA: If your objective is work or a long-term stay [Guide to Japanese Visas],
Next how good are your language skills? To get a job in the medical field you would need to be able to read, write, and speak Japanese fluently. Without it there is no way to get a job in that field unless you look for work in one of the Adventist Medical Center's or a base facility where English is used.

Think of this in the reverse as well. If a Japanese person asked the same question to you, but spoke no English, or only broken English at best, would you hire them in GB?

 

[Northern Comfort]

MOFA: If your objective is work or a long-term stay [Guide to Japanese Visas],
Next how good are your language skills? To get a job in the medical field you would need to be able to read, write, and speak Japanese fluently. Without it there is no way to get a job in that field unless you look for work in one of the Adventist Medical Center's or a base facility where English is used.

Think of this in the reverse as well. If a Japanese person asked the same question to you, but spoke no English, or only broken English at best, would you hire them in GB?

Well, speaking Japanese to a near native level is an obvious requirement, but I get the impression that for many jobs in Japan, foreign qualifcations are often not considered as equivalents to the Japanese qualifications and that in many cases foreigners would have to retrain from scratch?

To what extent would you say this is true?

For example, would a registered Nurse with a degree from abroad be able to find employment as a Nurse in Japan if they spoke Japanese to a native language.

 

[KirinMan]

Well, speaking Japanese to a near native level is an obvious requirement, but I get the impression that for many jobs in Japan, foreign qualifcations are often not considered as equivalents to the Japanese qualifications and that in many cases foreigners would have to retrain from scratch?

To what extent would you say this is true?

For example, would a registered Nurse with a degree from abroad be able to find employment as a Nurse in Japan if they spoke Japanese to a native language.

Depends upon what country you are from. Doctors trained and licensed in the US can and do find work here, dentists too.

Get this straight though, it isn't just speaking that would be required, you would have to be able to read and write Japanese as well. Simple reason, how would you expect to know what medicines to prescribe or give to a patient if you can't read the kanji? Oh that is just one example amongst a plethora of other reasons as well.


Oh and another thing, I asked YOU a question, last paragraph, that you conveniently did not reply to. Don't expect more in depth responses from me if you don't show the common courtesy to respond to direct questions placed to you.

 

[nekojita]

It depends on whether or not the countries have an exchange agreement for medical staff. e.g. the UK and Australia do, so my mother has no problems (she was working as a nurse in the UK, recently moved to Australia), apart from some paperwork. But other countries don't - I'm pretty sure the US, for example, makes everyone take their local tests.

A Japanese nurse coming to the UK would have to pass an English test and then take the Overseas Nursing Programme course because there are things a Japanese nursing course wouldn't cover (in terms of practice/legislation in the UK). This has to be done through the proper authorities - a hospital can't just "sponsor" a foreign nurse.

I do think there is a US-trained psychiatrist (it came up on a similar thread, maybe here) who works in Tokyo with English-speaking patients.

When you look on the research side (e.g. university/academia based), rather than clinical, it would get much easier, primarily because in academia, if you mess up, nobody dies. I do know semi-personally at least one person in this position.

 

[Glenski]

The majority of people move to Japan to either teach English, or be employed in a role that requires dealing with people who speak English, or a language other than Japanese.

From Wikipedia:
"In 2010, the number of foreigners in Japan was 2,134,151. There was 230,552 Brazilians who are mostly of Japanese descent, 687,156 Chinese and 565,989 Koreans. Koreans, Chinese and Brazilians account for about 69,5% of foreign residents in Japan."

So, you're wrong right off the bat. No surprise considering your profile shows you have never been to Japan.

However, does the Japanese government, or Japanese companies ever sponsor skilled workers from overseas to work in Japan in a normal job that is not targetted specifically at foreigners?

For example, if a registered Paramedic with a degree in Paramedic Science from the UK wanted to work in Japan, would they be able to find a hospital or ambulance provider willing to sponsor them, and if so, would the immigration authorities be likely to approve a visa?

For jobs that require licenses (such as the above) the license needs to come from Japan, not abroad. Same holds for doctors and lawyers.

Skilled laborers do exist in Japan. That's why there is a skilled labor work visa. However, Japan is notorious for importing such foreign work on a short-term basis almost akin to slave labor and in illegal fashion. Japanese Trainee Program Accused of Exploiting Migrant Workers - NYTimes.com

Recently, it opened its door to nurses from SE Asia, but that has pretty much flopped because they never provided any language training and then complained about the poor language skills, and almost none could pass the nursing exam.
Japan Keeps a High Wall for Foreign Labor (Published 2011)

I've heard Japan really wants immigrants at the moment

Wants? No, not outwardly. Needs? Yes, definitely, and for the reasons you cited.

Well, speaking Japanese to a near native level is an obvious requirement,

Look again. JLPT2 (or its current equivalent) is often a minimum acceptable level, far from "near native level".

but I get the impression that for many jobs in Japan, foreign qualifcations are often not considered as equivalents to the Japanese qualifications and that in many cases foreigners would have to retrain from scratch?

Why should a doctor or lawyer have the same credentials in a foreign land? Do you even have the slightest clue, for example, how a Japanese lawyer or doctor gets their training? (Psst, it's not like in the UK.)